640 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS fbaxinus. 



Lemome, which is a very fine double 

 white. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



FRAXINUS (Ash). — A genus of 

 large or ornamental trees with deciduous, 

 opposite, oddly pinnate, or very rarely 

 undivided, often serrate leaves, and dense 

 axillary clusters of polygamous or 

 dicecious flowers. Calyx smalls 4.1obed 

 or absent. Petals none, or 2-4, free or 

 united at the base in pairs. Stamens 2, 

 attached to the base of the petals, or 

 hypogynous. Ovary 2-celled. Fruit a 

 samara or ' key,' winged at the tip and 

 sides. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 Ashes prefer a rich loamy soil, but will 

 flourish in any ordinary good soil, in 

 situations where they will be sheltered 

 from bleak winds. They are most suit- 

 able for large parks or pleasure grounds. 

 Increase is usually by means of seeds, 

 but many of the rarer kinds are grafted 

 or budded on commoner stocks, and when 

 done on the top of a tall standard, weep- 

 ing varieties are obtained. The seeds 

 ripen in the autumn, and are best kept 

 mixed with sand until the following 

 spring or even autumn, as they do not as 

 a rule germinate the same year as they 

 ripen. They should be sown in beds of 

 good sandy loam, and after about two 

 seasons the seedlings may be transplanted 

 about 6 in. apart in rows not nearer than 

 18 in. to each other. Here they may 

 remain for two years more, after which 

 they wUl be fit for transplanting to their 

 permanent quarters in the autumn or 

 early spring during mild weather. The 

 indigenous species reproduce themselves 

 naturally from seeds, which are blown by 

 the wind considerable distances from the 

 parent tree. They germinate freely and 

 grow vigorously in almost any soil. 



There are about 50 species, but the 

 following is a selection of some of the 

 most ornamental. The Mountain Ash 

 (Pyrus Aucuparia) and the Prickly Ash 

 (Zanthoxylum americanum) belong to 

 different orders, and are described at 

 p. 405 and p. 296 respectively. 



F. americana (JF. acuminata ; F. alba; 

 F. Curtisi ; F. epiptera ; F. juglandi- 

 folia). — White Ash. — A splendid tree 

 30-40 ft. high, native of New Brunswick 

 and Canada. It is readily distinguished 

 from the Common English Ash {F. excel- 

 sior) by its lighter, brownish-grey bark 



and pale green leaves, which are com- 

 posed of 2-4 pairs of ovate or ovate- 

 pointed, shining serrate leaflets 3-5 in. 

 long. Flowers in AprU and May, white, 

 in terminal panicles. The variety lati- 

 foUa has broader leaves than the typical 

 White Ash. 



F. puhescens (also known as F. nigra^ 

 F. pennsyhianica, and F. tomentosa), the 

 Sed Ash or Black Ash, is very similarj 

 but is a smaller tree, with deep brown 

 bark, leaves downy beneath, and greenish- 

 yellow flowers. 



Culture Sc. as above. It thrives near 

 the sides of lakes, ponds &c., or in moist 

 soil. 



F. excelsior. — A beautiful and highly 

 ornamental shade tree 30-80 ft. high, or 

 even more, native of the British Islands, 

 Central and South Europe, and N. Asia. 

 The leaves consist of 4-7 pairs of oblong 

 lance-shaped serrate leaflets, 1-3 in. long. 

 Flowers from March to May, polygamous, 

 greenish-yellow, in dense small axillary 

 panicles, with purple-black stamens. 



Cultivation has produced and perpetu- 

 ated a large number of distinct and 

 handsome varieties, of which the ' Weep- 

 ing Ash,' with branches drooping to the 

 ground ; the ' Curl-lea*-ed Ash,' with deep 

 green, wrinkled and curled leaves, are 

 fairly well-known. There is also a 

 variety (simpUcifoUa or monophylla) in 

 which the leaves are entire instead of 

 being divided into leaflets ; and many 

 others to be found in nurserymen's cata- 

 logues, such as aurea, aurea pendula, 

 crispa, foliis argenteis, horizontalis, 

 lieterophylla, lutea, monstrosa, niyrti- 

 folia, pendula, scolopend/rifolia, specta- 

 bilis, viridis, &c., the names of which give 

 an idea of the peculiarities of the plant. 



Culture cf-c. as above. 



F. Ornus (F. argentea ; F. rotumdi- 

 foUa; Ornus europcea). — Flowering or 

 Manna Ash. — A handsome free-flowering 

 tree 20-30 ft. high, native of S. Europe, 

 resembling the Common Ash in appear- 

 ance. It may be recognised by its young 

 branches being purple or livid, and dotted 

 with yellow, and lance-shaped or elliptic 

 leaflets, stalked and serrated, and hairy 

 or downy beneath. Flowers also later in 

 May and June, greenish-white, in dense 

 clusters, all over the tree. The variety 

 alba has white flowers, with dark purple- 

 brown stamens ; violacea has flowers of 

 a greyish-violet hue. These are both 



